Mowing 62C mower deck won't lift or drop

[Anjou]

I bought my John Deere 2305 tractor with FEL and 62" MMM at the end of February 2007. The weather obliged me and dumped 6" of snow on us in early March. What a great time I had clearing our 200' driveway with the FEL. Then I spied my elderly neighbor lady trying to shovel her parking space. Off to the rescue I went, only to fall short of the task. At 3.5 engine hours, I could get the FEL to curl, uncurl, and elevate, but it would not depress, though it tried. I was promptly rescued by a free service call from the dealer, who identified the problem as a faulty quick-connect on the hydraulic coupler. Of course, I proved my ineptitude when I inadvertently hooked up the couplers incorrectly while trying to solve the problem. Finally the grass started growing like wildfire and I got some serious time mowing. Wow, what power on foot thick grass on steep hills. The tractor barely grunted as it cut a 5" high swath across the pasture (5 hilly acres). Then I lowered the mower deck to the medium setting and trimmed the yard (2 acres). Two weeks later, I repeated this feat, without incident. I didn't even roll the tractor on the sand mound. Now, it time for me to reward my neighbor for letting me use his riding mower last year. His gas-powered Husquavarna is too underpowered to cut his grass on the lower section, so he wants to borrow mine. No problem, I say, just let me show you how to lower the deck (from the maximum height, just below the lock position, down to the medium or low setting). THAT was the problem. The 62C deck is NOT in the full up position so you can't adjust the height because the knob won't turn either way. In fact, the I-match hitch will raise or lower, but the mower deck won't budge. It's almost as if it's in the lock position. BTW, I did confirm that the lift arms are not in contact with the frame stops (there is about a 1" gap). Also, I just took off the FEL last week.

Any suggestions before I call the dealership in the morning? I'm sure someone has had this problem before.

 

[B8FISH]

Is the iMatch still on the 3 point hitch? If not--even though the arms are going up and down they would not be hitting the tab that lifts the mower deck. The iMatch, or anything else on the 3pt helps keep the arms separated enough to get the arms to contact that tab and lift the deck.

 

[Anjou]

The I-Match hitch is still attached. When I removed the FEL, I also dropped the ballast box. There was no point in taking off the I-Match. All I've got as far as rear implements is the ballast box.

My guess, and I am NOT mechanically inclined, is that the hydraulics are trying to lift the deck, but can't for some reason. It was the same kind of noise as when the FEL wouldn't drop... the whir of the pump, but no action. In that case a female quick connect was blocking the flow of hydraulic fluid. I've never had the mower deck off and the only qucik connect that I know of is the drive shaft. I have no idea how the hydraulic system raises/lowers the mower deck. I am not just a wee bit upset to be having these problems at such an early stage. Thus far the dealer has been explemplary.

 

[jdbower]

If there is contamination in the hydraulic fluid it's quite possible that the debris just got dislodged from the filter and is stuck in the connector. You can try removing the connector (don't forget to dump the pressure first!) and see if there's anything visible in there.

 

[orlo]

Sounds like the little 'tab' that's connected to the linkage rod isn't hooking onto the lift arm. Look in the rear left of the 3pt hitch. If you've adjusted your turnbuckles to pull the IMatch to the right this might be it and you'll just need to re-adjust it.

If not that, from the lift arm there is a hitch pin that could have fallen out. Trace the lift rod back from the top of the deck to the back and you'll see it.

 

[Anjou]

If there is contamination in the hydraulic fluid it's quite possible that the debris just got dislodged from the filter and is stuck in the connector. You can try removing the connector (don't forget to dump the pressure first!) and see if there's anything visible in there.

What connector would you be referring to and why would there be hydraulic fluid contamination at only 18.5 engine hours?

 

[Anjou]

Sounds like the little 'tab' that's connected to the linkage rod isn't hooking onto the lift arm. Look in the rear left of the 3pt hitch. If you've adjusted your turnbuckles to pull the IMatch to the right this might be it and you'll just need to re-adjust it.

If not that, from the lift arm there is a hitch pin that could have fallen out. Trace the lift rod back from the top of the deck to the back and you'll see it.

Well now, this is interesting. The I-match hitch does kind of droop to one side (I don't recall which side), not that I've ever made any adjustments to the turnbuckles.

 

[jdbower]

What connector would you be referring to and why would there be hydraulic fluid contamination at only 18.5 engine hours?

I was thinking that you had an independent lift kit for some reason, but I don't think that's the case. It's still possible that an internal connection is blocked someplace and a fluid drain could fix it but I'm not sure anymore.

Many machines recommend a "break-in" fluid change period. During manufacture metal shavings are easy to leave behind in various locations. Typically these settle out and are removed with the first routine fluid change but in some cases there may be a few more than expected. Also, you have the chance to introduce contamination every time you disconnect the hoses if they're dirty when you reconnect them. Since you may have already had a blockage at the FEL, part of the blockage may have broken off and traveled through the system to the rockshaft hoses.

 

[orlo]

The turnbuckles I'm talking about isn't the single one on the right lift arm that controls left, right tilt, but there is another set (both sides) that control the left right 'sway'. If these aren't adjusted right, the 'tab' that's supposed to lay over the left lift arm won't and the mower won't go anywhere.

 

[Loogie]

Can you post a good picture of your 3PH? That way we can check out the linkage. Particularly the lower lift arms.
If your iMatch is tilting to one side, probably the left side, the odds are the the adjustable turnbuckle on the right lift arm came loose and has slowly extended pushing that side up (been there, done that).